Kidnapping: Allow University Security Staff To Bear Firearms, SSANU Tells FG

By Bello Usman

Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), has called on the Federal Government to licence security outfits in all schools to bear arms as a way to adequately checkmate security threats and attacks on institutions of learning.

This request has come on the heels of increasing spate of kidnapping for ransom incidents in our campuses in recent time such as the abduction of over 20 students of Greenfield University, Kaduna two months ago, some of whom were killed before ransom was paid.

The Union decried what it described as the penchant by the Federal Government to abandon agreements entered into with labour unions, adding that such action was what drove doctors embark on its latest strike.

National President of the union, Mohammed Ibrahim in a communique issued after its 40th National Executive Council (NEC) meeting, condemned the alleged shoddy and lopsided implementation of some core components of the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS), especially the hazard and other earned allowances yet to be fully implemented in the monthly salaries of its members as earlier agreed.

The association’s NEC also noted with great concern, the reluctance of some state governments to implement the new national minimum wage and its accumulated arrears.

SSANU urged the Federal Government to pay the arrears of new minimum wage as previously agreed in the Memorandum of Agreement (MoA).
“NEC in session condemns in strong terms, the absurd and unabated increase in insecurity across the country, especially the incessant abductions/demand for ransom and killings of students and staff of secondary and tertiary institutions by bandits, especially in the northern part of the country.

This dangerous dimension has forced several states to shut down schools in violence-prone areas. This will no doubt, add to the over 13.5millions out of school children in Nigeria today.

“From all indications, this is a great threat to the educational system, bearing in mind that the economic growth of any nation directly depends on the level of her educational standard and stability. NEC, therefore, calls on the Federal Government to urgently stem this ugly tide by vigorously strengthening the security agencies to ensure effective tackling of this monstrous menace. Furthermore, relevant enforceable laws should be enacted to curb this savagery. NEC also strongly canvasses for the government’s approval of licenses for security outfits in all institutions of learning to bear firearms to adequately checkmate these security threats and criminal incursions.

“NEC in session observed with dismay the shoddy and lopsided implementation of some core components of the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS). Specifically, Hazard and other Earned Allowances that are yet to be fully implemented in the monthly salaries of our members as earlier agreed.”